GiftFilter: Book for 4 year old Asian boy

March 16, 2023 7:21 AM

Looking for an English language book for a 4 year old Asian boy.

Help me (no kids, white lady) find an English language book for a 4 year old Asian boy. I'm specifying Asian because I'd love something with characters, or at least a main character, that he can identify with.

His parents said he loves books but didn't point towards a list. I don't want to ask them to do more work but I also don't want to pick something he already has.

So, I turn to the collective genius of AskMeFi in hopes I can pick something awesome for this awesome little guy. Thank you for any suggestions!

posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine to Shopping (10 answers total)

"Asian" is a pretty broad category? I can recommend MAMA'S SARIS by Pooja Makhijani and Elena Gomez, if this boy is South Asian/Desi. I know the author so I can put you in touch if you can't find a copy online. But I'm not just recommending it because it was written by a friend - my kids loved this book.
posted by MiraK at 8:09 AM on March 16, 2023

Why not Dr. Seuss?
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:11 AM on March 16, 2023

For Chinese representation, Grace Lin might be a good choice, especially A Big Bed for Little Snow

I think it's worth considering that Dr. Seuss published some deeply anti - Asian work and I would myself avoid selecting that as a gift for an Asian kid.
posted by skunk pig at 8:36 AM on March 16, 2023

It sounds like you don't know this four year old very well, and are concerned about the lack of diversity in book publishing that leads to a lack of non-white representation in picture books. That is a great concern to have! I would look for a funny or fast-paced picture book story featuring Asian or Asian-American characters. I really like The Blur by Minh Lê, and Nimesh the Adventurer by Ranjit Singh and Mehrdokht Amini.
posted by lizard music at 8:37 AM on March 16, 2023

The Charlie & Mouse series of picture books is about two brothers who are hapa haole (dad appears to be Asian, mom appears to be white). There are now 6 books in the series and they are really delightful - perfect for a 4 year old. The environment they are in is really diverse in terms of people and seems to be set in Hawaii.
posted by vunder at 8:39 AM on March 16, 2023

My kid's very favorite book at 4 was Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim (2017). Features characters from Korean mythology. I recommend this book all the time as it's funny and weird and has fantastic artwork.
posted by miles per flower at 8:41 AM on March 16, 2023

Puddle by Hyewon Yum is super cute. Maybe encourage splashing :)
posted by MadMadam at 8:46 AM on March 16, 2023

Also love Grace Lin as mentioned above. We especially love the Ling & Ting series, which works as a kind of riff on Frog & Toad (the stories have similar arcs with humor and unintended consequences), centered on Chinese-American twin girls. This one (like Charlie & Mouse, which I mentioned above) has stretched for us from read-aloud to read-alone, which is great for a 4 year old.
posted by vunder at 8:49 AM on March 16, 2023

Thank you, everyone! I ordered A Big Bed for Little Snow and two of the Charlie and Mouse books!
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 10:41 AM on March 16, 2023

By Asian do you mean South Asian, East Asian, SE Asian, Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Persian, or something else? That way we can tailor responses with specific ones.

That being said My Friends by Taro Gomi is a cute book and the main character is a girl that could plausibly be from any of those backgrounds.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:41 AM on March 16, 2023